The two new vessels have improved stealth capabilities, advanced surveillance radars, electronic warfare suites, and rapid-fire gun systems
The Indian Navy has commissioned two new stealth frigates equipped with supersonic BrahMos missiles.
The indigenously-built INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri were commissioned on Tuesday by Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh at the Eastern Naval Command base in Visakhapatnam.
“Equipped with next-generation weapons and systems, the ships will enhance the navy’s ability to safeguard national interests across a full spectrum of maritime missions,” Singh said. “These frigates will reinforce its role as first responder and preferred security partner in the Indian Ocean region.”
The new warships are part of the Nilgiri-class of stealth guided missile frigates. They have features such as improved stealth capabilities, advanced surveillance radars, electronic warfare suites, and rapid-fire gun systems, according to the Indian Defense Ministry.
❗️ 🇮🇳Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Commissions INS Udaygiri & INS Himgiri
“The journey that INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri are embarking on from Visakhapatnam today is a journey of India’s pride,” Singh added.
With the addition of the two new frigates, the Indian Navy has over 300 BrahMos missiles, spread across 20 stealth frigates and 13 destroyers, the India Today website reported on Tuesday. New Delhi plans to equip its entire naval fleet with BrahMos missiles by 2030, according to the report.
The missiles are manufactured by BrahMos Aerospace, an Indo-Russian joint venture named after the Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers. India’s Defense Research and Development Organization has a 50.5% stake in the company, while Russian NPO Mashinostroyenia holds 49.5%.
The Indian Navy has long-standing defense ties with Moscow.
Last month, Russia delivered the multi-role frigate INS Tamal to India. It was the eighth Krivak-class frigate built for the Indian Navy over the past two decades.
